Second Career Nurse: New Grad/Nurse Pay Cut

[cieethekid]

Hey y'all.

For those out there who are transitioning from one career to nursing, how do you compensate for the new grad/nurse pay? For example, if you are making $35 as a welder and the new grad/nurse pay in your area is $28, do you take the pay cut and dive in fully to your new role as a new nurse or do you stay on as a welder PT/PRN and work as a nurse PT/PRN to offset the pay??

[londonflo]

why would a welder go to nursing school if they made $35 per hour for a fulltime job? 

We have had coal miners attend nursing school because their jobs were being cut. 

I can't imagine starting as a new RN and going PT or PRN. When would you immerse yourself in your new responsibilities, so that each day would be easier after you have learned the routines, become conversant with assessments, passing meds etc for more than  one patient.

[cieethekid]

23 minutes ago, londonflo said:

why would a welder go to nursing school if they made $35 per hour for a fulltime job? 

We have had coal miners attend nursing school because their jobs were being cut. 

I can't imagine starting as a new RN and going PT or PRN. When would you immerse yourself in your new responsibilities, so that each day would be easier after you have learned the routines, become conversant with assessments, passing meds etc for more than  one patient.

I only used the welder and pay amount as an example...

but from the rest of your response, I am speculating that you would take the pay cut to immerse yourself in the field of nursing?

[londonflo]

It would depend on the established job,  future job prospects, one's personal future and job satisfaction. 

[NICU Guy, BSN, RN]

I took a $9/hr pay cut as a new grad nurse. But, after 15 months I switched to Weekends Only. The Weekends Only pay premium eliminated the pay cut from my previous job. Thanks to several different hospital groups in the city, when one of the other hospital groups raise their nursing pay structure, my hospital group raises ours to match them. I am now well above the pay that I would be making at my previous job.